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Iran: 14-Year-Old Stoned to Death by Father

Newspapers report a father stoned his daughter to death in Zahedan, Iran.

A 14 years old girl, identified as Saeedeh, has been stoned to death by her own father, reported the daily newspaper Qods yesterday.

According to the report, the father who is identified as Mohammad Sharif told the authorities that when he found out about his 14 years old daughter’s relationship with a boy, he took Saeedeh to the mountains around the city of zahedan and killed her by stoning and then shooting four bullets at her. His friend, identified as Gholam, accompanied and helped him, according to the daily. Both of them were reportedly arrested.

Another daily newspaper, Etemad, reported a similar story with some differences. In this report, the 14 years old girl is identified as Somayeh, and the person helping Sharif is identified as Ghafour. This report doesn’t mention that the 14 years old girl was shot, but quoting the father says: "When we were taking her (somayeh) to the mountains, she was scared but still didn’t know what she was expecting. Upon arrival to the scheduled place, I threw Somayeh on the ground and started the stoning. She was screaming and begging for her life, but I had to save my honor and didn’t have any other choice than killing her....".

According to the report, Ghafour (the man who helped Sharif) had also invited other people to participate in the stoning. But it is not mentioned whether other people than Sharif and Ghafour took part in the stoning.

According to the human rights activists, the incidence of honor killings have increased in the past years in Iran.

Iranian authorities have stoned to death at least one man in 2007 and one woman in 2006. Several people are in the row to be stoned to death in different Iranian prisons. At least two women and one man are at imminent risk of death by stoning.

In 2004, Atefeh Sahaaleh Rajabi (16) was hanged in public in the town of Neka, convicted for "immoral" acts.